Montgomery Council endorses plan for rapid bus system

Thousands of commuters in Montgomery County may soon breathe a sigh of relief. On Tuesday the Council endorsed a rapid bus system that would connect the Shady Grove Metro station in Rockville to the Clarksburg area.

The Montgomery County Council endorsed a proposal for a rapid bus system. Originally it had planned to build a light rail, but that price tag was almost $800 million. The bus system cost much less at almost $500 million and would happen 10 years earlier.

"It is so important to economic growth an quality of life," said Council President Roger Berliner. That's what we want for our county now."

Berliner says it will bring commuters from point A to point B just as quickly.

"This is not your father's bus, this is not a bus that sits in traffic," Berliner said. "This is a bus with dedicated lanes, so you are waving goodbye to traffic as you go by."

While some resident said they would have preferred a train, most welcomed the news of a bus system.

"A little bit faster for people to get home, they'll spend more time with their families, so I think it's a good thing for the county," said commuter Anthony Lynn.